More than 16 years and hundreds of deployments into the war in Afghanistan, the story of the first ground troops to strike back after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S. is still a little-known tale.

Or, at least, it was to many members of the cast and crew who are bringing it to life in “12 Strong.”

Details of the mission first came to light in 2009, when author Doug Stanton published “Horse Soldiers,” so named for the equine transportation a team of 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group operators rode into battle against the Taliban.

On Friday, a Jerry Bruckheimer-produced epic based on the book hits theaters, with Chris Hemsworth starring as Capt. Mitch Nelson, commander of Operational Detachment Alpha 595.